


You Call Me Strong, You Call Me Weak

by Saccha



Series: You Call Me Strong, You Call Me Weak [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette April, Adrinette April 2018, Angst, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Public Reveal, Series of interconnected one shots, partial reveal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-04-22 11:03:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14307273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saccha/pseuds/Saccha
Summary: Adrien helps Marinette pick up the pieces after her identity is revealed on live television.





	1. Adrien and Marinette

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote these for Adrinette April, but they are a part of a larger fic that I haven't written yet. It was quite a challenge to frame the plot from Adrien/Marinette interactions only.
> 
>  
> 
> The title is taken from the song "Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down.
> 
> (also: lol you ever write a short story and it goes from 1k to 500 words after editing?)
> 
> Adrinette April Day 16: Surprise.

He wasn’t Cat Noir.

He was just Adrien. 

If he had been Cat Noir, then _she_ would still be Ladybug.

But he wasn’t Cat Noir and she wasn’t Ladybug; he was Adrien and she was Marinette, as they both stared wide-eyed at each other.

Pinched between forefinger and thumb, the akuma held an earring. 

“I... got the Miraculous?” she said in disbelief. A purple mask flared over her face. “I got the Miraculous!” 

Then Marinette kicked her in the stomach and snatched it back. 

She grabbed Adrien with her free hand, and hauled him away from the akuma and down a nearby alley.

He stumbled behind her, nearly tripping at every twist and turn. With a few skipping hops he managed to regain his footing. His breath burned his throat and his blood pulsed loud in his ears and he just _could not process this right now._

After a few minutes of running, Marinette stopped abruptly and Adrien had to stagger to the side to keep himself from crashing into her. She sharply turned her head from side to side, her pigtails whipping against her cheeks, then shoved him into an alcove and followed behind.

Adrien and Marinette stood there, panting, their hands braced on their knees, trying to catch their breath. After a long moment, they straightened and their eyes met.

“Hi,” Marinette said with a kind of casual, wild-eyed panic.

“Hey,” Adrien returned.

She gave him a rigid, somewhat hysterical smile and nodded her head frantically.

“So... Ladybug.”

Marinette’s eyes grew so wide that they looked like they might pop out of her head, and she pressed her lips so tightly together they turned white. 

“Uh-huh,” she said shrilly. 

A rapid, chopping sound cut through the air. Slowly, both of them lifted their faces to the sky. A news helicopters flew by overhead. 

Of course. Rich, teenage supermodel Adrien Agreste, kidnapped by an akuma (again) and Ladybug coming to his daring rescue? Of course there was a news helicopter. 

(He hadn’t really been held hostage _that_ many times, but it was still pretty humiliating what with him secretly being a superhero and all.) 

There was no way this wasn’t already all over the news. There were probably a thousand posts online by now along the lines of ‘holy crap,’ and ‘who is that?’ and maybe even ‘omg, is that Marinette?’ 

“Oh no,” Marinette whimpered. She shook her head. “You stay here, Adrien. I need to go deal with the akuma.” 

She put her earring back in her ear, and with a cry of ‘Spots on!’ and a flash of pink light, she transformed into Ladybug. 

Adrien marveled at the sight. (Because apparently in Adrien’s mind ‘admire how pretty Ladybug is’ was a higher priority than ‘panic because Ladybug’s identity has been exposed to the world and we’re all screwed’) 

With a nod of farewell, and the zip of her yo-yo, she leapt away. 

“Plagg?” Adrien said after a minute. 

The kwami flew up out of his pocket. 

“Marinette’s Ladybug.” 

“Yeah, kid, I know.” Plagg said. “Normally, I’d make fun of you right now, but we gotta go.”

Adrien nodded numbly and transformed. Marinette needed him.


	2. Strong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To let someone see you cry is not a weakness.
> 
> Adrinette April, Day 5, comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like this chapter way more than I did the first. Let me know what you think.

After the chaos of that morning, the silence of the hallway fairly rang in Adrien’s ears. Earlier, shouts and whispers alike had built up into a deafening cacophony. There hadn’t been a single person who didn’t have something to say or questions to ask after yesterday’s events. The biggest question being: where was Marinette?

He’d thought the commotion had been bad on his first day of school, but it was nothing compared to the fallout of the very public reveal of Ladybug’s identity.

Adrien grimaced as he passed her locker. Envelopes and folded pieces of paper covered the front of it. The grates at the top were crammed full, and several letters littered the floor from where they had fallen off. More than a few of them (to Adrien’s irrational jealousy) were clearly love notes— hearts and fancy calligraphy decorating the front. 

Adrien tried vainly to suppress the thought that one of those letters could be from the boy Marinette liked. His only comfort was that he had never heard any rumors of anyone being romantically connected to Marinette. 

Except Nathanael. It couldn’t be Nathanael, could it? No, he had clearly shown his interest and nothing had come of it (thank god). If he was the boy Marinette liked, they’d be together already. Nino used to have a crush on her, but Adrien knew he wasn’t interested now. Even if he was, Adrien didn’t think he had it in him to resent him anyway.

She definitely wasn’t dating anyone. Every single public detail of Marinette’s life, from her favorite color (pink), to her hobbies (designing, but Adrien already knew that), to her every accomplishment (some Adrien already knew, like designing Jagged Stone’s album cover, and some he didn’t, like the dress she made for a beauty show contestant who went on to win the competition in said dress) had been loudly discussed in the hallways, on the internet, on the news... everywhere. If she had a boyfriend (or a girlfriend, but Ladybug had said there was a ‘boy’) then everyone would already know and have swarmed him.

 

Even as Adrien walked as quietly as he could, drawing on every ounce of stealth he’d learned as Cat Noir, his tennis shoes squeaked on the floor— and almost drowned out the sound of soft gasps and sobs. 

He bit his lip; he really  _ was _ going to the bathroom this time. It wasn’t an excuse to fight an akuma or tend to his superhero duties in other ways, but if he kept ducking out of class and not returning his teachers might not let him leave at all.

...No, he should go check it out. What if someone really was in trouble? He might be able to calm them down and prevent an akuma— that was something his Lady didn’t need on top of everything else.

Adrien followed the noises to a semi-spacious storage closet he had used to transform in before. He knocked on the door, then cautiously opened it.

“Um, hello? I heard you crying... are you okay?”

There, trembling in the dark, face swollen and wet, stood Marinette.

“A- A- A- Adrien. What- I’m sorry- I can’t- I can’t-” Marinette shallowly gasped between each word. She pressed the heel of her hands into her eyes, and clenched her fingers so hard her nails dug into her forehead, curling in on herself.

Adrien reached out... and hesitated. Would she really welcome his touch right now? Cat Noir’s, sure, but Adrien’s? They were good friends, but they didn’t exactly hug it out often.

“Can I...?”

Marinette peeked up at him through her fingers. At the sight of his outstretched arm she collapsed into him and shoved her face into his chest. Her fingers dug deeply into his back, bunching up the fabric of his shirt.

Adrien staggered back half a step before his arms came up around her and he returned her embrace tightly. Her tears seeped through his shirt, and his own body shook with every heaving breath she took. She trembled in his arms, whimpering, hiccuping, and choking on her own tears.

Marinette let out one last shuddering gasp before her breathing began to even out and her grip lessened.

“Everything’s ruined,” she whispered, not raising her head from his chest.

Adrien rubbed her back and made comforting shushing noises.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

“You don’t understand,” she continued, and pulled back her head to look him in the eye. “ _ Hawkmoth _ knows who I am. Everyone is in danger. My parents are in danger, my friends are in danger, everyone in this school is in danger,  _ you’re _ in danger. I can’t protect all of you. I can’t be Ladybug all the time. I can’t  _ be _ everywhere.”

“Everything’s going to be alright,” Adrien said. He yearned to tell her he was Cat Noir, that he’d be by her side always. He longed to call her Bugaboo and my Lady, and to tell her that he loved her forever and without conditions.

But she’d made it clear the night before, when he had visited her as Cat Noir, that she didn’t want to know his identity. She had lost so much control over her life already, he couldn’t take this last shred away from her.

“You don’t know that. He knows where I live, where I sleep. He could send an akuma to my house to attack my parents, or to creep into my room at night and kill me in my bed. And even if we went into hiding my family’s business would be ruined, and he’d  _ still _ target my friends unless they all went into hiding too.”

Adrien shook his head. “None of that will happen. You’re Ladybug! You can handle anything.”

He smiled reassuringly at her.

“Jeanne d’Arc was a Ladybug too. Look at how things worked out for her.”

He hadn’t known that. For the first time it occurred to him that they might not win, that they might fail. He’d always just assumed victory was assured. Maybe it was the teenager in him, or maybe it was the superhero in him, that made him feel invincible.

Adrien could do nothing but hold her, peering helplessly into her eyes. She buried her face in his chest once more and they both stood there for a long moment, breathing in tandem.

Eventually, Marinette pulled away and wiped her face with her forearms.

“Ugh. I’m so sorry, Adrien. I got snot all over your shirt.”

“There is nothing that could matter less to me right now than my shirt.”

“Thank you,” she said.

“But... I didn’t do anything.”

“You were here. You listened. You let me slobber all over you.”

She let out a wavering laugh, and smiled, shaky and sincere.

Adrien’s heart both sang and broke at the sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to delete and repost this chapter because of ??? Not sure what happened.


	3. Burden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien writes Marinette a love letter and reflects on the other mail she's received.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter contains mentions of stalking, harassment, sexual slurs, and hints of non-con (nothing happens to anyone). The chapter can be skipped with minimal impact on the plot. I put notes at the end summarizing the events.
> 
> Written for Adrinette April, Day 14: confess.

Marinette,

Ever since I met you I knew you were extraordinary.

And everytime I learn something new about you it proves me right, and I fall even more in love with you.

I didn’t know at first that I loved you, but when I realized everything clicked into place and I knew I was yours forever.

You are not amazing because you are Ladybug; Ladybug is amazing because she is you.

Your beauty and your worth comes not from your powers but from your bravery, your kindness, your determination, your strength of spirit, and your faith in the good of others.

 

I love how stubborn you are.

I love your smile.

I love the way you stutter when you’re nervous.

I love how you always do what is right, even at your own expense.

If I were to list everything I love about you, this letter would never end.

 

I know you love another. I wish it was me, but your happiness and your friendship are the most important things in the world to me. As long as you want me, I’ll be by your side.

 

Je t’aime, Marinette

~~Love,~~

~~Adrien~~

  


Adrien hesitated in front of the door to the classroom. He ran his thumb over the sharp edge of the envelope in his hands, and bit his lip.

Marinette had already received so many love letters. Not counting the ones from school, they arrived by droves at her house. The mailman started bringing them in large boxes and sacks at the end of the day. Cat Noir made it a habit to show up and help her and her exhausted parents carry them up the two flights of stairs. A small mountain of unread mail quickly accumulated in the corner of Marinette’s room.

Of course they weren’t _all_ love letters. Most were fanmail. Marinette appreciated those. She was especially fond of the letters from young children. A few managed to move her to tears. She refused to show Cat those, but when he hovered over her shoulder in worry she assured him it was a good thing.

Nevertheless, she visibly steeled herself every time she sat down to go through them. It took hours and hours of time she already didn’t have to read and sort each one. Adrien could see how it affected her- the slump in her shoulders and the bags under her eyes.

Then there was the hate mail. And the death threats. How anybody could hate his Lady was beyond him, but the letters came anyway. Conspiracy theorists sent letters filled with poisonous words accusing her of being in league with Hawkmoth, or faking the akuma attacks for her own agenda. (Though what agenda none of them agreed.)

Others were sent by the hypercritical who found fault with everything from how long it took her to deal with the akumas, to her personal beliefs, to her daily life. Adrien was ashamed to say that more than a few of them were from Cat Noir fans who called her a slut and a tease and told her that he deserved better.

As for the love letters, most were benign. But some... some weren’t. Some set off warning bells in Adrien’s head, subtle wordings that he knew were characteristic of dangerously obsessive fans.

But the worst were from the delusional fans. The letters that demanded her love. Some threatened to commit suicide if she didn’t return their affections; some insisted that they knew Marinette loved them.

It had only been a week and the police had already arrested a man. The thirty year old had sent her explicit photos and letters describing in graphic detail what he’d do to her ‘when he got a hold of her.’ Then he started sending pictures, ones that _weren’t_ publicly available, of her house and of her walking to and from school.

Cat Noir stood awkwardly beside her, unsure of what to do or say, while Marinette shakily told a solemn faced Lieutenant Raincomprix what had happened. It took all of Adrien’s willpower to not hunt the guy down and finally find out what happens when you use Cataclysm on a person.

He’d tentatively suggested that someone else sort the mail for her. But Marinette was adamant. She insisted she do it herself. That it was her responsibility.

Adrien couldn’t help, because Adrien wasn’t supposed to know.

And he... he couldn’t add to that. She was carrying enough without dealing with his advances as well. He refused to add to her burden.

 

A classmate brushed past Adrien on his way to class, startling him out of his thoughts. Adrien stuffed the crumpled letter back into his pocket and entered the classroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adrien writes Marinette a love note.
> 
> However Marinette has been getting a lot of mail, most of which is benign, but some are hateful or threatening. She gains a stalker, who is arrested.
> 
> He decides to not give her the letter, because he does not want to burden her with his feelings on top of everything else.


	4. Selfish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette's friends will always be there for her, no matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adrinette April, Day 9: Jealousy
> 
>  
> 
> Here's a drinking game for you: every time someone smiles, blushes, or nods, take a sip.

 

“You know, this is kinda creepy,” Marinette said.

“What?” Adrien said, putting his hand on his chest in mock offense. “Blindfolding someone, shoving them in the back of your car, and whisking them away to places unknown is  _ creepy? _ ”

“Yeah, I’m definitely getting some serial killer vibes here,” she joked. “Where are we going, anyway?”

“You’ll see in a second; we’re almost there.”

The limo slowed to a stop at the side of the road, and Adrien got out and jogged around to Marinette’s side. At the sound of the door opening, Marinette reached her hand out and groped blindly about. Adrien caught it in his and pulled her from the car.

He waved at the Gorilla. “We’ll be back in about two hours or so.”

The man grunted and settled into his seat. Adrien wondered what he did while he waited for him. Did he read? Sleep? Play flappy bird on his phone?

“Hmm... the smell of gasoline in the air... the sound of water slapping against wood... are we at the Couffaine’s houseboat?”

_ Dammit. _

“Maybe we are, maybe we aren’t.”

Marinette smirked.

Adrien led her along the gangplank, walking backwards with both of his hands holding hers.

She tripped when she reached the end, falling into Adrien’s arms. She grasped his shoulders to steady herself, and smiled up at him, still blindfolded. Adrien could feel his face turning red.

“SURPRISE!”

Marinette jumped out of his arms and ripped her blindfold off, blinking the sun out of her eyes.

“Wha- but, it’s not my birthday?”

“It’s a ‘just because’ surprise party,” Alya said.

Every member of their class, except Lila and including Chloe, were there. Honestly, Adrien was worried about the boat’s weight limit.

(When Alya had pulled Adrien aside to explain her plan to cheer Marinette up, Adrien had responded enthusiastically. He quickly volunteered to be the one to get Marinette to the party. Alya had thought that was a  _ great _ idea. 

“Don’t give her a choice,” she’d said. “Just tell her you’re taking her somewhere.”)

Marinette’s face split into a smile, tears gathering at the corner of her eyes.

“I- wow. This is- Thank you, everyone.” She wiped at her face.

Adrien squeezed her shoulders in a side-hug. Someone in the crowd of students whooped. 

“Alright, mateys!” Anarka said, hands on her hips. “Now that the girl of the hour is here, let’s take sail before the vultures start circlin’.”

She and Ivan pulled the gangplank in, then she started up the boat’s motor. The ship lurched into motion and headed down the Seine. There was still a chance that someone would recognize Marinette from the shore, but at least the privacy laws protected them from the worst of the tabloids. Not that the laws would have much power over a person with a cell phone and a twitter account.

“Finally!” Alix crowed. “Let’s eat!”

The pink haired girl made a bee line for the sunroom/sitting room combo.

Someone had set up a white folding table covered with all sorts of sweets and snacks. People ambled over to it, patting Marinette on the shoulder and greeting her as they passed by. Marinette shot them all a shy smile.

Nino came up beside Adrien and Marinette and chuckled. “Alix’s been complaining that she wanted to eat the entire time she’s been here, and she was one of the first to arrive.” 

He glanced at Adrien’s arm still around Marinette’s shoulders and shot him a wink and a discreet thumbs up. Adrien flushed and pulled his arm back.

“Marinette, did you see? There’s a ping-pong table on the upper deck. Wanna play with me?” Alya asked.

Marinette laughed. “Sure. But I’m terrible at it.”

“Me too. It’ll be great. Let’s go.”

Alya pulled Marinette through the crowd towards the back of the boat. Adrien’s lips turned up into a fond smile. Alya was such a good friend.

“It’s good to see her smile again,” he said.

Nino nodded. “That’s for sure. I’ve never seen her that down before. Not even back in sixieme when her best friend moved away.”

“‘Your greatest secret has been revealed and now you are in the middle of a massive media storm and also your family is in danger’ isn’t quite on the same scale as ‘your childhood friend moved away.’”

Nino gave a rueful laugh. “True.”

The two watched the girls play ping-pong in a companionable silence.

Alya served and Marinette missed the return. She scrambled across the deck to retrieve the ball. Marinette served and Alya missed the return. They kept up like this, occasionally hitting the ball back to their own surprise.

“You’d think that Ladybug would be better at stuff like that, wouldn’t you?” Nino said.

Adrien hummed thoughtfully. Ever since he found out that Ladybug was Marinette, he’d noticed something. It wasn’t that Marinette was better put together as Ladybug, (well, she was, but that wasn’t the point) but rather  that whenever Marinette really needed to step up to the plate she was always confident and sure footed, even when she was out of the mask. 

Marinette stuck her tongue out of the corner of her mouth, her face scrunched up in concentration, and slammed the ball into Alya’s side of the table, sending it flying past her and over the side of the boat.

The two girls ran over to the railing and peered over the side in shock. Then they both burst into laughter, Marinette shining as brightly as she ever did.

“Soo... How goes it with Marinette?” Nino elbowed Adrien in the side and waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“What do you mean?”

Nino snorted. “Don’t give me that. I’ve seen all the ladybugs you doodle on the side of your notes, and the way you blushed whenever Ladybug was around. And don’t forget all the lovesick sighs whenever someone mentioned her. You’ve been super tight with Marinette ever since everything went down. You’re always standing near her or touching her.”

“It’s not like that. I think she likes someone else.”

“Dude,” Nino said flatly.

“Hey guys!” Marinette said brightly from behind them. Her face was flushed a delightful pink and her eyes shone.

Adrien started. He hoped she hadn’t heard what they were talking about. He didn’t know if he could handle getting shot down by the same girl twice. 

“We kind of lost our ball.”

“We saw,” Nino said.

“Oh, Marikins~”

Chloe latched onto Marinette from behind with no warning. She held out her phone at arms length and snapped a selfie. She withdrew her arms and began tapping away at her phone.

“Everyone is going to be so jealous. ‘Hanging out... with my bff... Ladybug.’”

“Don’t post that until after the party is over,” Adrien warned.

Chloe stopped typing and pursed her lips.

“I guess you’re right. We don’t want anyone to interrupt our time together, right Marikins? Tomorrow let’s hang out and go get manicures! You can come too Adrikins. Then we-” Her phone ringing cut her off. “Hello? What do you mean they’re out of stock?”

Chloe stomped off, haranguing the poor soul on the other side of the phone, and Marinette heaved a sigh of relief.

Over Marinette’s head, Alya and Nino seemed to be having some sort of silent conversation made up of quirked eyebrows, significant looks, and nods. Or rather, Alya was trying to have a silent conversation with Nino, who just scrunched up his face in confusion and shook his head. Finally, Alya rolled her eyes and dragged Nino away.

“We’re going to go get some food. You two have fun,” she said.

Marinette blushed, and she shyly looked up at Adrien.

“Do you want to, um.” She gestured towards the railing.

“Sure.”

Behind Marinette Ivan gave him a thumbs up and Mylene nodded encouragingly. Did everyone know about Adrien’s crush? At least they were all cheering for him.

Adrien and Marinette went over to the side of the boat and leaned against the railing, looking out at the plants and buildings that lined the river.

“I love the view along the Seine. Everything is a mixture of the old and new. There’s so much history and so much potential. It reminds me of why I fight to save Paris.” She had a faraway look in her eye and a wistful smile.

“Yeah, it’s really beautiful,” he said, not looking away from her face.

They stood there in silence for a little while, their arms touching. Wind ran gentle fingers through their hair, and the occasional cloud passing overhead gave welcome shade from the unseasonably hot October sun.

“Look! Look! Mommy, it’s Ladybug!”

A little girl in a pink dress on the walkway nearby was pointing at them. Her hair was pulled back in pigtails and she had a ladybug plush clutched in one arm.

Marinette smiled and waved at her.

Murmurs of ‘Ladybug?’ and ‘Is that really her?’ came from the other pedestrians. Soon the walkway was crowded with people calling out for Ladybug and waving their hands back and forth.

Marinette’s smile became fixed; her wave, hesitant. Before all this she’d never shrunk away from the admiring crowd. But now... Adrien hated that such a thing was ruined for her.

“We should go down below before any more people get here,” Adrien suggested gently.

She nodded and he hesitantly placed his hand on the small of her back. When she didn’t draw away, he pressed more firmly and she let him lead her across the deck and through the sunroom to the stairs.

Several of their classmates scowled at the shouting people with no effect. Alix made a rude gesture and Adrien winced. He was not looking forward to seeing that on the internet later.

The wooden stairs thudded reassuringly under their feet as they descended. Adrien had been below deck on yachts before, but that was nothing like the cosy combined kitchen and living room they found themselves in. It was small and a bit cluttered. Guitar music floated through the air. It felt more like a home than Adrien’s actual house.

Marinette breathed deeply in the way Adrien now knew meant she was holding back her emotions. She sat down on a low, yellow couch and Adrien took both of Marinette’s hands in his and squeezed them.

“I’m going to get you something to drink. I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Okay,” she whispered.

He jogged back up the stairs and headed to the snack table.

“Water, water, where’d they put the water?” he mumbled under his breath.

“Here,” said a voice from behind him. They nudged his arm with a cool plastic water bottle. “They’re in a cooler under the table.”

Adrien turned and took the bottle from Nathanael.

“Thanks.”

Nathanael shrugged. “How’s she doing?”

He picked at the label on his own water bottle and refused to meet Adrien’s eyes. Adrien knew the other boy still harbored feelings for Marinette, but surprisingly it didn’t bother him.

“She’s... alright. She’s strong, she’ll pull through. She’s just been shaken by everything that’s happened, and this kind of brought it back?”

Nathanael nodded, and they lapsed into an awkward silence.

“You should probably go back below... She needs- well, you’re good for her.”

Adrien bid a stilted farewell and headed back to the stairs, careful not to make eye contact with anyone else.

At the bottom he came to an abrupt halt at the sight of Marinette sitting next to a black and blue haired boy, her body pointed towards him. She giggled uncontrollably into her hands, her shoulders shaking with mirth, and the boy (Luka, Juleka’s brother from the music festival, Adrien remembered) smiled warmly back at her. 

Adrien couldn’t see the expression on Marinette’s face, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to.

“So then she says, completely deadpan, ‘I’m a pretty princess.’” said Luka.

Marinette burst into a fresh round of giggles. “I’m sure you’ve never let her live  _ that _ down.”

“Definitely not. Every time I catch her doing her makeup I ask her if she’s a pretty princess.”

Adrien plastered a smile on his face, strode over to the couch, and handed her the water bottle, making a point to look at Marinette and only Marinette.

“Here you are.”

Marinette beamed brightly up at him, the events of several minutes ago forgotten.

“Thank you, Adrien.”

Adrien sat down on the couch next to her, as close as he could without pressing his body up against hers. Marinette turned so she was facing straight ahead, not towards either Luka or Adrien. He was counting that as a win.

“Luka was just telling me about the time Juleka got into her mother’s makeup case back when she was in ecole maternelle.”

Adrien’s smile became a little bit sharper as he turned to nod at Luka. He couldn’t ignore the other boy anymore without being unbelievably rude.

“Oh?”

Luka nodded. “And thus started a makeup experimental stage that’s lasted the last ten years. Mom loves it. She bought her a huge makeup kit with all sorts of colors.”

Marinette smiled wider at the both of them, and Adrien felt the jealousy gripping his heart soften.

“Hey Adrien, I saw that you were in that class photo reshoot you guys took for Juleka last year. I just wanna thank you for that. I know my sister doesn’t always show her emotions well, but it really meant a lot to her.”

“Oh, uh, you’re welcome? I don’t think I did anything special...”

“Yeah you did. You’re a good guy, Adrien.”

Why did Luka have to be so nice? If he was a jerk, Adrien could get in between him and Marinette with no guilt. But no, Luka had to have everything. He lived a carefree life on a houseboat with an easygoing mother. He played in concerts and could come and go as he pleased. If he dated Marinette, he’d never have to cancel because his father scheduled a last minute photoshoot or because he was grounded because he hit the wrong note while playing the piano.

(Adrien honestly had no idea how his father would react to the idea of him dating Marinette. He didn’t think his father would be open to Adrien dating anyone at all, let alone letting him be exposed to the danger that would come along with being  _ Ladybug’s _ boyfriend.)

If... if Marinette chose Luka, Adrien would step aside. Her happiness was the most important thing to him, and even if it hurt like hell, he’d support her. But he was selfish. As long as he had a chance he’d hold onto it. Luka and Marinette weren’t dating yet; he still had time to win her over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What _does_ Gabriel think of Adrien spending time with Marinette? We'll find out in the next chapter.


	5. Hospitality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel invites Marinette over for dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeyyy. It's only been two months and one day since I last updated. So, really, I'm only a little late.
> 
> These updates should be coming a lot faster now that I am done with Ladrien June. I'm currently working on this, When You Assume... and one other, unposted, WIP that's a collab with Whimstories.
> 
> I wrote most of this chapter in May, so the quality is a bit choppy. My style has changed a bit since then.

“Your classmate, Mlle Dupain-Cheng, invite her over for dinner.”

Adrien nearly dropped his fork. He gaped wide-eyed at his father.

“You- What? I- Marinette?”

Gabriel arched his eyebrow. “Don’t stammer. And yes, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Ladybug. She’s saved your life and mine multiple times. It would be... appropriate to invite her over to thank her.”

Adrien’s heart raced in his chest, and a hopeful smile spread across his face. He’d been terrified his father would ban him from seeing Marinette. But his father hadn’t. He  _ approved _ . Adrien wouldn’t have to see the hurt but understanding look on her face when he told her they couldn’t talk anymore.

“Of course! I’ll ask her today in class. Um, for when?”

“Tonight, if possible. I understand she has a very busy life.”

That was more understanding than his father usually was.

“I don’t think she has anything scheduled tonight. Hopefully Hawkmoth won’t send out an akuma tonight,” Adrien joked.

A ghost of a smile flickered over Gabriel’s face.

“Indeed,” he said coolly.

Adrien practically vibrated with energy through the rest of breakfast. The silence between him and his father was, for once, comfortable rather than oppressive. His mind drifted into overly optimistic daydreams of his father giving them his blessing and welcoming Marinette into the family. 

  
  


“He what?!” Marinette squeaked.

Nino looked up from his phone. “He what?”

“This is your dad we’re talking about, right?” Alya said. “Tall guy, overprotective, doesn’t like anyone, and thinks going to school is dangerous for some insane reason. That guy?”

“I know.!” Adrien bounced on the balls of his feet, shivering with excitement. “Father’s  _ never _ invited one of my friends over. Mother used to invite Chloe’s family over, but that was more because she and Chloe’s mom were friends. Granted, I never really had many friends before I came to school...” He shrugged.

Marinette squealed and did an adorable little wiggle-dance. Adrien had to bite his lip and look away to keep himself from doing something stupid like tell her she was cute.

“Oh my god, I can’t believe it! I’ve admired your father’s work for some long. For a while I was afraid that- nevermind, it doesn’t matter what I was afraid of. Oh I can’t wait to come over. What should I wear-” Marinette froze, her face paling. “ _ What should I wear?! _ I’m going over to  _ the _ Gabriel Agreste’s house. He’s the  _ Fashion King _ . If I don’t wear the right thing he’ll think I’m incompetent then I’ll become a pariah and I’ll never get a job in the fashion industry, and he’ll never let me see you again!”

“Calm down, girl. Adrien’s dad wouldn’t forbid you from seeing him just because he doesn’t like your dress.” Alya paused and turned to Adrien. “Would he?”

“Uhhhh...” Honestly, Adrien didn’t know.

“That’s not reassuring!” Marinette wailed.

“You’ll be fine, Marinette,” Adrien said. “You’ve already won several of his contests, so he must like your work. I’ve seen some of the outfits you made and they all look great. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.”

“Okay, okay.” Marinette took a couple of deep breaths. “When should I come over?”

“Is tonight okay? At seven?”

_ “Tonight?” _ she yelped.

“Yeah? Is that not okay?”

“No! It’s fine. I’ll be there at seven.”

“I’d like to pick you up in the town car if that’s alright?” Adrien smiled bashfully at her and and her cheeks pinkened under his gaze.

“Dude, she lives like a block away from your house,” Nino said. 

“Ignore Nino. I’d love for you to pick me up.”

“Great! Six forty-five then?

“Sounds good.” Marinette smiled at Adrien, and he beamed back.

The rest of school passed in a happy daze. Adrien heard Marinette whispering to Alya behind him, asking the other girl to come over to her house directly after school and help her pick an outfit.

Adrien breathed out a dreamy sigh. He looked forward to tonight.

  
  


Years of fine breeding was the only thing that kept Adrien from wiping his sweaty hands on his pants. His heart pounded in his chest, and he felt like he had too much saliva in his mouth. He really did not want to take Marinette’s hand with his sweat soaked one.

The car turned the corner, and Marinette came into sight. Adrien gulped when he saw her. She wore a beautiful a-line dress that complimented her body shape with a peach-pink chiffon skirt and a white lace top. Her hair was braided into a elegant loose braid, two loose locks framing her face.

She scanned the street nervously, shifting from foot to foot and fiddling with the clasp of her purse. A few pedestrians stopped to not-so-discreetly point and whisper.

When Marinette saw his car her face lit up.

Adrien damned fine manners and wiped his hands on the side of his pants. (He could practically feel his father’s disapproval) As soon as the Gorilla parked he scrambled out of the car. He tripped on the curb and stumbled a few steps.

Marinette stifled her giggles with her hand, and Adrien flushed red. So much for being suave. He extended his hand with a flourish.

“Shall I escort you to your ride, my Lady?”

_ Shit. _ He hadn’t meant to say that. Hopefully, she wouldn’t make the connection. (Deep down he yearned for her to make the connection.)

Something unreadable flickered across her face, then it smoothed out and she smiled.

She took his hand. “Thank you, kind sir.”

Adrien led her around to the other side of the car and opened the door for her. He could hear the clicking of camera phones going off, but he ignored them. By the time he settled into his seat her anxious expression had returned. Her hands fidgeted on her lap.

“You look beautiful,” he reassured.

“Thank you,” Marinette said, but her smile was still tinged with nerves.

“Um, don’t take this the wrong way,” she said, “but please don’t call me ‘My Lady.’”

Adrien’s heart sank. Did she hate his nickname for her? “I’m sorry. I- I didn’t realize you didn’t like being called that.”

“No, no, that’s not it at all. It’s just, um, that’s what Cat Noir calls me. It feels... strange to have someone else say it.”

Adrien wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He settled on pleased.

“I hope my dress is nice enough for tonight,” Marinette said after a short lull in the conversation.

“It’s fine,” he said. He had only dressed up a little himself, black slacks and a button-up green shirt that brought out the color of his eyes. But he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t agonized for an hour over what to wear. Finally he gave up and asked his father, who gave him advice with what passed for an amused expression on his face.

“Is there anything I should say? Do? Is there anything I should avoid saying? Should I-”

“Marinette,” Adrien said. He covered her trembling hands with his. “Everything will be fine. There’s nothing you can do or say that would make me think less of you.”

Marinette wet her lips. “And your father?”

Adrien hesitated. He couldn’t lie to her and tell her his father would like her no matter what, but he didn’t want to make things worse either.

Marinette laughed shakily. “That’s what I thought.”

She turned the hand under his over so they were palm-to-palm, and he grasped it tightly.

The mansion came into view and Marinette tensed, sucking in a breath.

The car slowed to a halt and Marinette reluctantly let go of his hand. It was for the best. Adrien had no idea how his father would react that.

Gabriel waited for them at the top of the stairs, his usual cool expression on his face.

“Mlle Dupain-Cheng,” he said. “Thank you for joining us tonight.”

Marinette curtsied in a way that belied her nerves. “Thank you for inviting me, M Agreste.”

Gabriel nodded and walked towards them down the stairs. His steps echoed through the hall.

“I’m glad you could make it on such short notice. I know you have many things to attend to. Allow me to show you to the dining room.”

Adrien smiled encouragingly at her when his father’s back was turned. Marinette heaved a quiet breath of relief and her shoulders sagged. She straightened back up and shot him a quick smile before following his father into the dining hall.

The dining room table was set in its usual spartan manner. Adrien’s heart leapt when he saw three dinner settings before he remembered. He shook off the irrational disappointment. His Lady was here to have dinner with him, something he’d long desired, and he should focus on that and not who wasn’t there.

Servants and cooks bustled in carrying a loaf of bread, plates of wine braised lamb, and bowls of watercress salad. The last servant came out to pour them each a glass of wine. When Marinette saw the vintage her eyes widened and she made a sound of protest, but Gabriel waved her off.

“I asked you here to thank you for all that you have done for this family.” Gabriel nodded to the servant pouring his wine. “You’ve saved Adrien more than once. One of the most frightening things you learn as a parent is how very vulnerable your children are and how little you can do to protect them.”

Adrien flushed. Why was his father always going on about how much danger he was in? He was just as safe as everyone else.

“Father, we have such an extensive security system. I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

“Be that as it may, there are still things I cannot protect you from. Illness, accidents, even something as little as falling down the stairs can lead to death. I have minimized the risks, but I cannot eliminate them.”

“I’ll make sure to keep him safe,” Marinette said.

“While that is reassuring, you cannot be everywhere at once.”

Marinette looked away at that, her back ramrod straight. She tightly grasped the stem of her wine glass, and the liquid inside rippled slightly.

“Yes,” she whispered. “When Gorizilla... I was so scared I wasn’t going to save him.” She took a nervous sip of her wine.

“That was... a particularly terrifying experience.”

Adrien placed a reassuring hand on Marinette’s shoulder and she shot him a small smile.

A lull in the conversation passed, the only sounds the clinking of forks against porcelain. Despite the tense mood, Adrien savored the sweet, almost buttery taste of the braised lamb. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a meal this large and this rich. While his father didn’t rigidly enforce calorie counting or portion control, Adrien was expected to keep to nutritious, relatively light meals, and that was what the chefs usually prepared for him. 

Was his father... trying to impress Marinette?

(Adrien was probably going to have a stomach ache after this, but it was worth it.)

After they finished and the plates were cleared, the fruit and cheese course came out. Plagg writhed in Adrien’s pocket at the smell of camembert. He took a piece to sneak to his kwami later. To his horror, Marinette took a piece as well. He couldn’t have  _ another _ camembert lover in his life.  ~~ How would he kiss her? ~~

“Mlle Dupain-Cheng,” Gabriel said in his usual detached voice, startling the girl.

“Yes?”

“I took the liberty of reviewing your online portfolio.”

Marinette’s jaw dropped. “What? You looked up my-”

“Indeed. What I saw confirmed my impression of you from the derby hat competition. You have good instincts and the potential to be great. Of course, your designs are rough around the edges, as to be expected of a girl your age, especially one with such... demanding extracurriculars.”

Marinette flushed and looked away shyly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Gabriel’s eyes darted towards her earring and his hand twitched, but his impassive expression never wavered.

“Marinette is really talented,” Adrien enthused. “You should see her sketchbook. Everything she makes is so creative. And she designed Jagged Stone’s glasses and album cover, so it’s not just clothes she’s good at. She’s amazing.

The girl in question turned bright red. “Oh! Um! I- that is- you’re more amazing! Y-you can speak Chinese, and you have the best grades in our class, a-and you fence, and play piano, and you’re good at video games...”

Adrien’s face heated and he couldn’t help but look away bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck. Belatedly he remembered his father was right there witnessing his reaction to Marinette’s words.

Gabriel considered the two of them with a calculating eye, and Adrien bowed his head under the scrutiny.

“It seems my son has taken quite a liking to you. I see nothing objectionable to a continued friendship between the two of you. You may come over whenever you like.”

A bolt of surprise, followed by a wave of joy washed over Adrien. Marinette gasped.

“On several conditions.” Gabriel raised a warning hand. “You will tell Nathalie every time Mlle Dupain-Cheng comes over, the visits will not interfere with Adrien’s work or extracurricular activities, and,” he said with a pointed look, “there will be no... window entrances. Understand?”

Adrien and Marinette ducked their heads, red faced, and mumbled affirmatives.

He sneaked a glance towards Marinette and she shot him a bashful smile in return. Hope swelled in his chest. His father approved of them, and he’d be able to have Marinette over whenever he wanted. Everything was going so well.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Please come visit me at [my tumblr.](https://sacchariwrites.tumblr.com/)


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